Opening of Japan: Visit by Matthew C. Perry (1853)

[japan]

The streets were empty by the afternoon.

There had been some sort of buzz in town, started by some fishermen, about a large black ship being seen in the sea. Japan had been in town at the time running a few errands, and happened to overhear the fast spreading rumour. It was somewhat alarming that a ship was coming their way; it was not the time of the year yet, for the Dutch to be coming in for their annual trade. Japan had paid the situation no mind when he first heard of the ship six hours ago: there were many strange things living in the sea, and it could have been anything. Nowadays, men were so easily scared and intimidated that Japan did not believe everything he heard.

When nothing happened an hour later he almost dismissed the rumour completely; but when the streets emptied and the people headed for the port, Japan knew that contrary to his beliefs something was actually happening. For many years, ever since Japan had closed its ports to the rest of the worlds, ships would come near Japan from time to time, with negotiations and requests to trade. They had been dismissed almost every time and for about two hundred years, Japan had been content with having little to no contact with other nations such as himself. The only nations he saw were his brothers, and a stoic Dutch man that he rarely saw.

Japan wasn’t really quite sure what to think of the isolation; he certainly did not hate it. He had to admit that before the isolation, his people were slowly changing. They had started to worship some sort of a greater god in the skies who, if they prayed to him, would grant them their wishes. Japan’s knowledge on the religion of Christianity was little to none, for Japan had never showed an actual interest in that certain religion. For Japan who had lived for hundreds of years, such concepts felt impossible to him. The shogunate said to him, that the westerners were trying to influence him, so that they could take advantage of him. Though Japan did not completely dismiss the thought of it, he did not believe it entirely either; but he had no say in the actions they made, either.


The port in Edo was filled with people, pushing to get a better look at the waters, and the supposed black ship. Japan avoided and wriggled through the mass of people, pushing to the front. As soon as he got to the front of the large crowd he could spot a black spot in the distance. The fishermen who had seen the boat must have been quite far from the port themselves, to be able to see the ship, Japan thought absent-mindedly. The ship would arrive near the port in a matter of ten to twenty minutes, if they didn’t stop the ship first. As if on cue, Japan spotted a few samurai getting their weapons ready.

Japan wished he could be sure that they would turn this ship back as they did all the others; but he wasn’t quite confident this time. Ieyasu was quite ill at the time, and his health only continued to decline. Japan had served the man for a few decades now, and although he never quite had much of a choice in whom he would serve, Ieyasu was a good leader. However his decline in health meant that he was not the leader he used to be.

Japan watched as the ship slowly moved closer and closer to the port with anticipation, keeping a close eye on the shogunate’s actions. Japan was not able to tell the future, but he wondered what would transpire from the events today; he felt that something large would happen today.

---

Sources : x x x x x x x x

[America]

Date: July 14, 1853
Location: Ugata Harbor, Japan

Alfred leaned far enough off the side that the nearby sailors on the Mississippi were clearly worrying they'd have to fish him out. His glasses were slipping as well, Texas getting precariously close to the end of Alfred's nose.

The young nation didn't pay the sailor's concerns much mind; he was too interested in checking out the amazing landscape that was revealing more and more of itself to him the closer their little fleet got. Everything looked strange here! Much stranger than Alfred had been expecting - the fleet's last port had been Shanghai, and he'd been thinking that all the Asian nations would live in places that looked similar to that, but this was turning out to be totally different instead!

"Enjoying the view, I take it?" a gruff voice inquired behind Alfred.

"Hmm?"

[/color]

Without pausing in leaning over the side of the frigate, Alfred turned and peered over his shoulder. The stout, short-haired man behind him was a familiar sight by now. Commodore Perry wasn't entirely aware of what Alfred really was (and unless there was a serious emergency, Alfred had no reason to tell Perry anything that he hadn't already figured out), but he was a good man and Alfred could really respect him as an officer.

"We're going to be anchoring soon, Mister Jones," Commodore Perry noted, "You may wish to take some time to dress. I would strongly recommend you don your uniform: it would not due for the natives to think lightly of us."

Alfred squirmed his way back on to the deck, dusting himself off once he was safely on board. Perry was a good man, but he was such a stickler for formality. It had taken the first month of the voyage for Alfred to get the Commodore to refer to him as 'Mister Jones' instead of 'Colonel Jones' - his military rank during the last war.

"Yessir, yessir,"[/color] Alfred replied with only a mildly-irritated grumble, sloppily saluting the Commodore - who promptly returned it, all crisp and businesslike - before strolling off in the direction of his cabin.

In his little cabin's tiny mirror, Alfred eyed the colonel's uniform with mild dislike. He needed to remember to resign his commission before whatever war he was fighting next got started - or else Alfred might find him getting promoted again right off the bat! He hated it when that happened! All those formal events you had to go to as an officer...they just got worse the higher your rank was!

'They'd better not try promoting me to the same rank as George,'[/color] Alfred thought to himself, 'That'd just be awful! I'd have to...to go join the Navy or something! Yeah! That'll show them!'[/color]

Grinning at his reflection, Alfred adjusted his glasses again - it felt weird to have something sitting on his face like that - before heading above once again.

Up on the deck, Alfred's army uniform stuck out like a sore thumb. Everyone else here was a sailor or a naval officer. At least they'd gotten in a lot closer to land while Alfred had been down below struggling with his uniform; the anchor was down, the sails furled, and the smoke from the coal furnace had thinned down to a bare wisp. The Mississippi was the closest frigate to land, too, so the view was definitely the best.

"Oh hey, we're at a harbor!"[/color] Alfred exclaimed when he spotted docks and big buildings over on the shoreline, "What part of Japan is this? Are we going to dock here?"[/color]

"According to our translators, this harbor is the closest to their capitol of 'Ed-doh'," Commodore Perry replied, nodding to the Chinese translators they'd picked up in Shanghai, "And we're still waiting for representatives."

Alfred sighed. Waiting? Instead of just going ashore? Diplomacy was too annoying; he wanted to explore this strange new land instead of talking and negotiating! Fortune seemed to be on the side of Alfred's tiny attention span, because he spotted a small boat heading very directly toward the Mississippi at the moment.

"Look! I think they're on their way over right now!"[/color] Alfred exclaimed, pointing.

The Commodore nodded gravely. Turning to his sailors, he ordered that whoever was on that little boat should be allowed to approach unmolested. Alfred just strained his gaze toward the vessel and wondered who was in it.[/center]

[japan]

As the ship came closer and closer to the port, the uneasy feeling in Japan’s chest increased. The people around him talked in hushed tones, a grave expression on their faces: It was not their first time seeing ships arrive at the port, but whenever one did arrive the habitants always became nervous. Japan could not blame the people for becoming nervous; It had been over two hundred years since Sakoku started, and the people who, at the beginning, opposed the whole thing were far and scarce now. They were used to their comfort in their land, without any disturbances from any outside contact. Japan had to agree with them; he too enjoyed the privacy he had had for the past 200 years. He had seen the damage the westerners could do to others. For many years China had visited him on his occasional trips to Japan; but after the war had started, Japan no longer saw China anymore. Detailed word of what had actually transpired in China with the war was hard to come by; he only knew that China had been defeated.

With that heavy in his heart, he slowly pushed himself through the crowd, walking towards one of the men getting ready to sail on the ship. Japan had to admit that he was quite curious as of who was in that ship. As of now they had no idea where the ship even came from. Japan could only guess that if they had so boldly and somewhat rudely come in through the Edo port, they were perhaps from a nation that had never visited him before.

“Honda! We have been looking for you!” A rough voice called him closer to one of the ships getting ready to negotiate. “By Tokugawa-sama’s order, you are to get on this ship to go see what they want.” An order. Japan should have guessed that this would happen. It was not rare for a nation spirit to go through negotiations, but Japan knew the real reason why he was being sent out there; Being a near-immortal being, if anything happened to him there would be no worry of any long lasting consequences.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be sending warships right after you.” The man assured with a concerned look. He was a man who had been working with the shogun for a few good decades, and he was the only one that noticed Japan’s never changing form. He was also one of the only men to show concern over his well being, seeing as Japan was always a personal aid for the Tokugawas. Japan allowed himself a slight curve of the lips and said a brief thanks. “What would Tokugawa-sama like me to do?” He asked the younger man, watching as a few other people -- a historian and a translator-- get on the ship.

“Tell them to get out of the port. Tell them, to go to the port in Nagasaki.” Japan nodded in confirmation. “And if they do not?”

“Have a messenger come on our largest warship and tell us of the news. “ The man stated it as if it would be the easiest thing to do, and Japan grimaced. This would be a long and gruelling task, in which he would have to spend a lengthy time in the presence of foreigners. Not that Japan hated foreigners; just uncomfortable. He slowly walked onto the small ship, watching as the distance between the port and the ship increased.

As their smaller ship neared the black one, Japan could finally see how large the ship was. And how many there were. He could only conclude that yes they were confident; who would not be confident when they had this many warships? He could hear the historian next to him working hard on his piece of paper, writing down details of the experience. The captain of the ship attempted to guide the ship as close to the biggest black ship there was, so that they could board it.

He wasn’t quite sure what he was getting ready for, but he knew that these people would be confident, and perhaps even violent. He would have to be ready when the time comes. And even with the reassurance that his own men would be right behind him to defend his home, he was not reassured at all, that everything would go smoothly.

[America]

Date: July 14, 1853
Location: Ugata Harbor, Japan

The little boat ended up having a good number of people in it. Alfred tried to watch them as they got closer to the Mississippi, but several warning looks from the Commodore prevented the young nation from leaning halfway over the side like he'd been doing not an hour before. Stupid formalities...Alfred had to resign himself to tugging on the hem of his uniform jacket and fidgeting as he listened to the sailors throwing lines down to the Japanese so they could keep their boat from floating away, and of them unrolling a ladder so that their guests could climb up to the deck.

Once the Japanese were on board, Alfred couldn't help but stare openly at them. What strange outfits they were wearing! They were all baggy, kind of like girl's clothes. The people wearing the clothes were kind of girly too, all of them short and skinny. Well, aside from the clothing they didn't seem too different from the Chinese in Shanghai, and negotiating with the Chinese was pretty simple as far as Alfred knew about it.

"Welcome to my ship," the Commodore stated, waving at the translators to begin translating for him, "I am Commodore Perry of the United States Navy. I come bearing a letter from President Fillmore for your Chief of State."

Alfred only half-listened to the funny sounds of the language that their Chinese translators were speaking to the Japanese in. Now that the group was on board, Alfred had noticed that there was something a little funny about one of them. He looked pretty much the same as the rest of the Japanese, but something about him niggled at Alfred. It was as if this particular Japanese man was someone Alfred needed to pay attention to.

...Wouldn't it be funny if that was the nation-spirit for Japan? Actually, Alfred thought it would be great if that guy really was Japan. Once they were trading partners and all, he could give Alfred the best tour possible of his house! A place like this had to be really interesting to visit! Of course, Alfred's house was sure to be better, so he'd have to make sure to invite this Japan guy over as well, give him the best possible chance to see what he was missing out on with all this 'I don't want to trade with you so go away' nonsense...

Alfred smiled brightly, staring directly and unashamedly at guy that seemed to be the Japanese nation-spirit. Things hadn't progressed so much as an inch toward the two nations making any sort of agreement and already he was thinking of the best places in his house to bring this oriental nation on a tour. Then again, why wouldn't it work out? Alfred had no reason to assume that it wouldn't.

-----
ooc: 19th century America is such an ass~ XD

[japan]

Making their way onto the black ship, Japan immediately spotted a group of gaijin waiting for them. Outsiders from Europe always looked similar to him, with their fancy clothing and their arrogant behaviour. Although he had never actually talked to them personally, they often barged into his home, only to be shocked that they were being turned back. And why would they not be turned back, Japan thought bitterly; it was as if the Westerners did not take them seriously.

He could feel the westerners’ gaze upon them, studying their appearance. They had colourful clothing on, something which Japan thought was strange; only the Tokugawas and the emperors wore bright and vibrant clothes, and if regular citizens were wearing them, only young kids wore such colors. They also had strange and frilly cloth around their neck, and he wondered vaguely, if that was a westerner’s way of seppuku.

In return of his staring, he could feel the Westerners staring just as much. It was true that none of them looked quite intimidating at all; the people that had come along with Japan were just a few translators and historians. The people managing the ship stayed at their posts. The historian was busy writing details down on a scroll; the translators looked at the situation almost nervously, as if waiting for some sort of order from Japan.

As soon as the man that Japan assumed was the leader of the whole thing started talking, the men from China talked over him, quick to translate. Luckily Japan had no need for such trivial things; the man was talking the language called ‘English’, and luckily, Japan had learnt that from a white man that had been in Japan for some time.

Japan waited for the historian to finish writing, the middle aged man’s hand moving swiftly to cover all the contents. The historian himself was a very detailed person, and sometimes political exchanges with outside parties were slowed down because of him. Japan did not mind as long as the man was competent. His own translators translated the Chinese in to Japanese, and although Japan knew that language as well, he dismissed the idea of telling them to slow down. Knowing Chinese when they had been in a state of isolation for a few centuries did not sound like a grand idea to him.

The hair on the back of his skin prickled as he sensed some sort of being’s stare. Looking around he could source it to a man that was in front of him. It was obvious that the young man did not belong here. Many men on the ship were old with experience, their faces resembling a blank slate. This man’s face however showed youth and excitement. Although Japan could assume that this young man was new to the whole thing, he felt that there was something strange about the younger man, something that separated him from everybody else.

There was also another thing that was unnerving. The man kept on smiling at him. And staring. Did he not have any manners or formality? Japan could feel himself becoming more nervous by the second, as he stared right back at the other man. He kept his face neutral and did not hesitate to blink. This was not a staring contest; Japan was just here to tell them to go to another port. Noticing that the translators were done and the historian had stilled his writing hand, he opened his mouth, speaking in Japanese so that the historian could get everything down. It was a slow but necessary process.

“Thank you for taking the time and coming to see us. Unfortunately, all of our ports are closed to foreigners, and the only port open is the port in Nagasaki. We ask that you move your ships there so we may further negotiate.”

Japan said this all in one breath, his facial expression not showing any signs of thanks at all. The tone itself was neutral, but he did not show any gestures of hospitality. It was common knowledge that if they were friendly towards foreigners that came to his home, they would take that as a sign that whatever they were doing was working.

The historian and the translators got to work, and Japan never took his eyes off the young man; he knew of the United States of America, as China used to tell him about how it was a very new country, much younger than them. There was a possibility that this man could be the spirit of the United States.

---

Notes

-In 1843, a young American man feigned being shipwrecked so he could be taken inside of Japan. There he became an English teacher and taught for ten months, before going back to the USA.
-Japan may think that the Americans use the frilly things to choke themselves when they are about to face death at the hands of the enemy.
-I don't know how ships and boats work, so I had no idea how Japan would get on the ship.

[America]

Date: July 14, 1853
Location: Ugata Harbor, Japan

The most boring part about diplomacy, Alfred decided as he watched the translators busily translating, was waiting for people to talk. It was the whole language barrier that was the problem! Wouldn't it make more sense if there was one language that everybody knew so they could talk business? Personally, Alfred voted for English. It was the language his people knew best, after all!

Eventually, the Commodore's message made it over to the group of Japanese. One of them was busily writing, it looked like - although from the glimpses Alfred got of the paper whenever he stood on tiptoe, the Japanese language was written in a way that was just as weird as it sounded. It was the guy that Alfred very strongly suspected of being the nation-spirit of Japan that gave the reply, which then had to make it through the gauntlet of translators before it was intelligible.

...The reply turned out to be pretty disappointing. It was basically a flat 'No thank you, now go away', right? That wasn't what Alfred had been expecting at all! Slightly hurt at being so immediately rebuffed, Alfred looked toward the Commodore to see what would happen next.

Commodore Perry didn't disappoint, either. His face was stern and unyielding as he replied.

"My ships will do no such thing. My mission is to deliver a letter entrusted to me by my President to the hands of your leader, and by God's will I shall carry it out. You will inform your masters that if I am not granted leave to carry out my mission by the day's end, your harbor here will face the wrath of the United States' military power."

Alfred found himself involuntarily wincing. What a scary guy! Good thing the Commodore was on his side, right? The translators from Shanghai were even more startled, and it took a sharp look from Perry before they began frantically translating the ultimatum.

Not waiting around, the Commodore waved over one of the ship's officers.

"Signal the rest of the squadron. I want all cannons brought to bear on the harbor," Perry ordered.

The officer saluted and hurried off to pass the word along. Alfred, meanwhile, looked back at the person he was now pretty confident about being Japan. At this rate they wouldn't get a chance to talk at all for a while! It was technically his own fault for being stubborn, but still Alfred was a little disappointed.

-----
- To get on board from a smaller boat, I imagine you'd use something like a rope ladder~
- Perry really did open fire on the harbor~

[japan]

Japan understood what Perry was saying without needing a translation. The nerve of these foreigners. His face took on a deadly expression, his gaze narrowing and then turning in to a fierce glare. He stared intently at the other supposed nation. He didn’t know what he was accusing the other for, but this was beyond anything Japan had ever expected from today’s events. There were thousands of people gathered on that harbour, and it would not do for his people to die at the hands of ignorant, arrogant, and foolish foreigners.

He could see the shock and hesitation on both sides; the young man looked a bit unnerved, and the translators themselves exchanged nervous looks before proceeding to translate everything so that Japan could understand. Japan could only guess with some caution, that this man was probably not the normal American, and perhaps he was sent here for that very reason. It was unnerving, how the man would not hesitate at killing some hundreds of people just to prove his point. His dislike for the other nation intensified.

But Japan could not let his anger take over his actions. If he were to do so, he would taint the image of his country and his people, and nothing good would come from it. He eyed the cannons that the foreigners had brought with them; there were many in numbers, and Japan thought of his very own cannons by the shore; they were not as impressive, and as Japan had been in isolation for the last two hundred years, he could only guess that their technology was superior. He and Tokugawa never thought that it would resort to violence; all they had wanted was to keep everybody away.

Making sure that the historian was done writing, he weighed his options. He wasn’t sure if the other man was bluffing, but seeing the unease in the other men’s eyes, he could tell that this was quite obviously not part of any plan that they had made. He could always call the bluff, and have hundreds of his people killed, or he could do as they say and send a message back. He decided for the latter. Turning towards the three men by his side, he made sure that his voice was quieter, so that his translators would not translate it. “They are planning on attacking us if we do not heed by their demands. You will get back on our ship and tell the commander what they are planning.” The three men could do nothing but agree, seeing as Japan was a high ranked officer. Japan watched as they headed down the rope ladder and onto the ship.

As soon as they were out of sight and he was left alone with the foreigners he gave them a nod. If his people were gone, it meant that he could comfortably talk in English without any fears of suspicion. “They will go tell my superior about your ... proposition.” He said all of this in English; being a nation had its quirks, for he had learned the language much quicker and efficiently than most people. He hoped that his accent was acceptable enough that they understood, however. “I will stay here in case they send the men back as messengers.” He was not sure what actions the commander would take, but he could only hope that it would be reasonable.

[America]

Date: July 14, 1853
Location: Ugata Harbor, Japan

Alfred watched the Japanese for their reaction with interest. It seemed like they'd probably be willing to negotiate now that the Commodore had shown that he wasn't going to be pushed around however they liked. And sure enough, almost before the Commodore's words were fully translated for them, the group of frail-looking foreigners was huddling together and discussing the matter.

It ended up being no surprise that most of the contingent headed back to the ladder and climbed back into their little boat. But the guy that seemed to be Japan stayed put. And it was another shocker when he gave Commodore Perry a reply in halfway decent English! (To Alfred's ears the guy had a really silly accent, though.)

“They will go tell my superior about your ... proposition. I will stay here in case they send the men back as messengers.”

[/color]

Perry seemed only mildly nonplussed about this turn of events.

"I accept your proposal," the Commodore replied in a mild tone, "I should hope that your superior is prompt with his reply...for your own sake."

With a wave of his hand, Perry signaled his sailors to let the little boat float free of the Mississippi. The men were quick to obey, but they were eying their remaining guest with suspicion. And it was technically a serious problem for a foreigner from a nation that he didn't know wandering around one of his gunboats, Alfred knew.

Still, with the other Japanese gone it seemed very certain that this was, in fact, the nation of Japan. And since Alfred wanted to talk to the guy anyway, this seemed like a great chance to do so right now!

"Commodore! Permission to escort our guest around the boat?"[/color] Alfred asked, throwing Perry a bright and cheery smile (and salute).

The Commodore looked less than thrilled by this, but he didn't think about it very long.

"Keep him above deck, Corporal Jones," Perry replied, returning the salute.

Alfred had to sigh at that. All that work getting the Commodore not to address him by rank, gone in a flash! At least Alfred had a new friend to commiserate with now, assuming the guy's boss had his act together. Without a thought for their surroundings - or for the sailors who were trying to do their jobs without looking like they were shamelessly eavesdropping - Alfred walked right over and beamed a friendly smile into the face of a fellow nation.

"Nice to meet you! Hey, where did you learn English from? You're pretty good at it!"[/color] Alfred greeted him - in English.

Of course, Alfred stuck out his hand for a handshake while he was greeting Japan.[/center]

[japan]

Whenever Japan thought that the foreigners could not surprise him more, he kept on being proven wrong. Japan had thought that there would be a limit to how rude they would be, but no, the leader kept on disproving him. Carefully controlling his expression to stay neutral, he nodded to confirm that he had heard, and had noted it down in his head. He wasn’t quite sure how he would tell them tobe prompt, when the man had mentioned it after his people had left. They also had very little right to tell the others to hurry.

He watched as his people left on the ship, and noticed that the warships were already out of the port and heading towards the larger black ship. Hopefully the small boat would get to the ships in time, so that there would be no horrible consequences. Turning his head back to the ship, he was met with suspecting stares. Of course Japan had expected this in some way, but now that he was faced with the actual consequence, it was somewhat uncomfortable. This was his first time dealing with such a serious matter in the first time in two hundred years, and he had to admit that it had made him soft. He reminded himself mentally to not fidget or look down. Instead he kept his head high and his eyes staring at one place on the ship. Nothing moved except for the rise of his chest from breathing, and an occasional unconscious movement of his arms.

He was snapped out from his failing attempt at meditation, when a loud voice rang through his ears. "Commodore! Permission to escort our guest around the boat?" The man had talked to fast that Japan almost didn’t catch it, and it took him a few moments to piece the sentences together. When he did, his head looked up at the man. A look of dislike crossed Japan’s face. He really did not feel like exploring anything, especially at this time. He turned his eyes onto the ‘commodore’, hoping, that he would deny the request; he most likely would, since having a foreigner run their ships was most likely not favourable or professional.

"Keep him above deck, Corporal Jones." It had been wrong of Japan to hold expectations for foreigners whom he had never met before, and he regretted it. Holding back a sigh, he looked back to the ocean, wishing that he had gotten on the boat also. He told himself, that this could be a good chance to see how these people managed their ship. Perhaps he would learn something new, something worth reporting back to his superiors about.

"Nice to meet you! Hey, where did you learn English from? You're pretty good at it!" The man’s smile was blinding, and his enthusiasm made Japan uneasy. Japan couldn’t put his finger on it but it was the way that this man spoke, perhaps because he was so excited, that made it harder for Japan to understand. He took a few moments to slow down the sentence in his head, and then translate the words into his own native language. He looked down at the hand that was offered to him, and he blanched. What exactly was Japan supposed to do with the hand? Perhaps it was some sort of habit that the man had, and so Japan let it hang there; it most likely had nothing to do with him at all.

“Thank you. I have learned English from your people; he was here for a few months.” This time Japan spoke in the language that all nations knew; Shaykomay. He said all of this just above a whisper so that other people on the ship could not hear, as it was quite obvious that they were staring at him, keeping an eye on his actions. He kept his response short. There would be no need for useless talks, since they would most likely be battling soon enough. He gave the other crew members a sharp look for staring.

All the while, the other nation’s hand was left untouched, as Japan had no idea what he would be doing with it, if he was supposed to.

[America]

Date: July 14, 1853
Location: Ugata Harbor, Japan

Japan didn't take Alfred up on the handshake, leaving his poor hand all alone in the air. After almost five minutes Alfred reluctantly conceded that his hand was not going to be shook now after all, and folded his arms across his chest with a sigh. Sheesh, no wonder no one had trade agreements with this guy! Talk about unfriendly!

'I hope he's nicer when you get to know him,'

[/color] Alfred thought to himself, 'Otherwise this isn't going to be much of a friendship. And he's NEVER going to make any other friends acting like that!'[/color]

Though Alfred was unaware of it, his face took on a somewhat mournful expression as he thought of poor Japan, friendless and alone in the world (except for America, that was!). But then Japan explained where he'd learned English and Alfred was instantly distracted from those sad thoughts.

“Thank you. I have learned English from your people; he was here for a few months.”[/color]

Japan's voice was so soft...it really did sound like a girl's voice! The fact that the other nation had switched to Shaykomay didn't slip past Alfred either: with all these sailors around, it was probably better to use the common language.

"You learned all that in a few months? Wow, you must be really smart! I'm pretty terrible at learning other languages myself!"[/color] Alfred replied in Shaykomay.

He punctuated his words with a laugh. It wasn't as if Alfred was interested in learning any other languages, so the fact that he was a terrible student of them didn't bother him in the least. Although truth be told, if Alfred didn't spend all the time he was supposed to be studying other languages goofing off it would've been a totally different story...

The sailors were muttering to each other. Now deprived of their chance to eavesdrop, they had to settle for gossiping about the strange dress and language of the Japanese. But it wasn't long before a cry from the crow's nest diverted their attention away, and the sailors began scrambling.

Hmm? Alfred lifted his head, looking to see what was going on. If the shouts of the sailors were anything to go by, one of the bigger ships docked at the harbor was coming this way - very slowly, but coming this way nonetheless. The little boat that Japan and his friends had come to the Mississippi on was headed straight for it.

"Ooh, what kind of ship is that?"[/color] Alfred asked, leaning past Japan and shading his eyes with one hand as he peered at the strange-looking vessel, "It looks pretty nice! Is your boss over there?"[/color]

Man, things in Japan sure worked fast! Now they'd get to deliver Millard's letter! It seemed as though Commodore Perry didn't have the same optimism as Alfred did, however, because Alfred could also feel the rumble of heavy cannon being repositioned belowdecks, shaking the boards right under their feet.

Well, the Commodore wouldn't just open fire on the other vessel without checking whether or not Japan's boss was on board, right? Of course that was right! Kind of hard to receive letters while on a sinking ship, and all that.[/center]

-----
- If there's anything about ship terminology I use that you want clarified, let me know~

[japan]

It was taking awhile for the ship to come back, Japan thought absent-mindedly. He tried to calculate the average time it would take for the ship to reach the others and come back. While then, he kept on nodding to America’s words, looking around the ship and to the waters. It would be beneficial for them to get any information about how they built their ships also, so Japan made sure to keep an eye on that also.

The sailors that were in the ship were not making it any less obvious that they were talking about him, and Japan made sure to stare back at them, questioning their strange clothing, but in the recess of his mind. He didn’t understand how they could have such light clothing on; it would give them no defence against swords or explosives. Perhaps they were wearing something under their clothing that gave them superior powers? Japan would like to find that out.

His observations and wild assumptions were interrupted by a cry from above. Looking up he saw a man up there. It was interesting, how they had a small place up there so things could be seen easier. Perhaps Japan should mention that to his superiors. However, Japan, being able to understand their language, soon turned his eyes towards the ocean. What he saw was not in any way, a good thing.

It seemed as if his people had done g justice by identifying the severity of their situation. However, they had done the exact opposite in how they should have reacted to it. About five or six warships were making their way to the black ship and therefore Japan’s direction, and they had their canons out, ready to fire. Japan supposed that considering his immortal state, Tokugawa had no qualms about pointing canons at him. He couldn’t help but feel a bit betrayed, as he made a ‘tsk’ noise with his mouth. Perhaps they had thought that the Americans were only bluffing. They had driven away many intruders before with this same tactic. However, hundreds of people’s lives were not worth bargaining over a simple assumption.

What did he expect in the end?

Japan sighed. As much as he rather liked the idea of staying angry at his superiors and thus his people, he had been long used to this sort of action from them. Perhaps it was foolish for him to expect them to act rationally, of all times; Tokugawa-sama was ill, and that meant that his reasoning was not as clear as they used to be. Most of all, Japan must not show how upset he was, for that would ruin the image of his homeland, and show the lack of communication between Japan and his boss.

What was most important right now was to keep the strong image of his home, since Japan could do nothing to stop the events from happening. Looking towards America he nodded almost apathetically, face wiped clean of any disagreement. The warships had stopped now, already in clear view. They slowly pointed their canons towards the black ship but stayed idle. It was ironic that, even though he could be shot out of the ship along with the foreigners by his own people, Tokugawa expected him to bargain with the Americans.

"Ooh, what kind of ship is that? It looks pretty nice! Is your boss over there?"

“Those are out best warships. My boss is not on them.” He answered the questions easily. He then raised his voice loud enough so that everybody would be able to hear what he was saying. “I strongly suggest that you leave our port immediately, and never come back. If you do not, we will be forced to use other methods.”

---

Please let me know if I'm not advancing the plot enough ^^;

[America]

Date: July 14, 1853
Location: Ugata Harbor, Japan

Alfred huffed out a disappointed sigh after hearing that first sentence. Oh, so Japan's boss wasn't on that ship after all...did that mean that there was another, even stranger-looking ship reserved just for the other nation's boss? Alfred had heard enough about Japan to know that he had an Emperor, and if Alfred knew anything about empires (especially certain empires), it was that their bosses always liked having the biggest, flashiest stuff. And since Japan was an island nation, it'd make sense that his boss would probably have the most awesome boat! Alfred really wanted to see it, too...

Alfred was driven from musing over what Japan's boss's personal ship might look like by the rest of what the other nation was saying.

"I strongly suggest that you leave our port immediately, and never come back. If you do not, we will be forced to use other methods.”

[/color]

"...Huh? You want us to leave?"[/color]

What kind of thing was that to say to a guest?! Straightening up immediately, Alfred turned and looked Japan right in the eyes. Was he really being serious? Alfred had to admit that he sure looked serious about it...

Alfred glanced at the warship, then back at Japan's face. Then he looked in the direction of the Commodore. There was no way that something like this was going to deter Perry any...and frankly, Alfred was in full agreement with what the naval officer was likely to do. It wasn't reasonable to just refuse people outright like that! Even if Japan's boss didn't like what the letter Millard had written said, reading it and rejecting afterwards made a hell of a lot more sense than just refusing to accept the thing outright!

When Alfred's gaze returned to Japan again, the open and friendly demeanor he'd shown before had been replaced with something a bit tougher. Folding his arms across his chest, Alfred stared down at the smaller nation for another minute.

"I'd really hope that those guys decide to back off if I were you,"[/color] Alfred told the other nation firmly, "Seriously, it's just a letter for your boss! You're being totally unreasonable about this, you know?"[/color]

And besides, no matter how big and tough those weird warships of Japan's were, Alfred's little fleet had the newest, most powerful cannons around - there was no way that the isolated little Asian nation had the firepower to match! But as long as the Japanese didn't do anything stupid, this might still work out well for both of them...[/center]

-----
- Couldn't think of anything else. And I'm sorry for the delay. >.<

[japan]

The look on the other nation spirit’s face was almost comical. Instead of smiling, Japan only kept a straight face, scoffing inaudibly at the naïve expression the man had shown. What did the man expect? They were the ones that had barged in without permission, making demands that they would have never followed in the first place. More than that, Japan pondered the actions of his boss. He hoped that the translator and the historian had simply failed to mention the threat to them. Although that was a serious blunder, it was easier to believe than the idea that Tokugawa didn’t care about his people. Japan held back the urge to smile sardonically; he had forgotten, that the Tokugawas never really thought much of the people.

Japan’s role as a nation spirit was simple, in theory. He took no important part in civil matters, and took no sides. Although he was not permitted to support any group opposing against the Tokugawas, he had the choice to not be involved in battles between his own people. This conclusion was not set in stone, but the Tokugawas had since long ago, failed to give Japan specific orders. This gave Japan some leeway, so that he could observe the occurring events in his country. Because of this, Japan wasn’t quite sure himself, whether he wanted to open his ports. Although in the end, he had no choice in it, he was certainly curious. The thought of China came to mind: It was hard to believe that such a strong nation had been defeated by the likes of foreigners. For this to have happened, they must’ve had immense strength, and a part of Japan wanted to seize that power for himself. He had to, before they came to him to take his land. Although they had succeeded to turn away most of their ‘friendly’ visitors, Japan could honestly not see how long it would last.

"I'd really hope that those guys decide to back off if I were you, Seriously, it's just a letter for your boss! You're being totally unreasonable about this, you know?"

Japan was baffled at what the other nation was suggesting. What did the other mean by ‘you’? He would think that it was obvious, that there was no negotiation this. At least not for Japan. Did America think that Japan could just walk over to his boss and demand that they do something different? Furrowing his brows, he shot America a look of confusion. Surely the other nation wasn’t that stupid, was he? Wasn’t it obvious that Japan listen to whatever his superiors demanded of him? Was there something that they were not in sync with? “You talk as if I have a choice.” He tried hesitantly. “Our ships are already on their way here. All I can do is to support my leader.” No matter how much I disagree with this choice of action. he thought bitterly, and the tone of his voice all pointed to uncertainty and doubt.

Japan was horribly worried about his people. Being one of the major ports, many people had gathered. He even recalled seeing a handful of young children, having used their small bodies to push their way through and in front of the crowd. If there would be any attacks from the Americans, the children would also be in danger. He peered towards the harbour, attempting to spot anything, or anybody. All he could see was little specks of what seemed to be people.

[America]

Date: July 14, 1853
Location: Ugata Harbor, Japan

Seeing that Japan was confused about what'd he said was a confusing sight for Alfred himself. How could you possibly be confused about that? Alfred was pretty sure he'd been as straight-forward as possible. If those warships made it any more obvious that they were a threat to the vessels under his command, Commodore Perry would see to it that the warships ended up at the bottom of the harbor. How was that confusing in any way whatsoever?

"You talk as if I have a choice. Our ships are already on their way here. All I can do is to support my leader.”

[/color]

Well, at least Japan had the decency to sound unhappy about it, no matter what his words meant. Though Alfred didn't really get why the other nation didn't just say outright that he wasn't happy with what was going on. Why did people always like to waste time by not saying what they meant? Life would be so much easier without that dumb word-fencing - stuff that Alfred couldn't (or usually wouldn't) follow half the time and that only gave him a headache the rare occasions that he (usually unwillingly) did read between the lines.

"You're kidding me! Even your boss does something stupid like this? You're just gonna stand around and let things go wrong?"[/color] Alfred exclaimed, "Sheesh, I guess you must be really timid or something. No wonder you're hiding from everyone else."[/color]

Not long after this, footsteps on the deck heralded the approach of the Commodore. His expression wasn't too friendly, but it was actually kind of comforting to Alfred to see the stern, confident look of the man commanding his ships on this unexpectedly risky delivery mission. Of course, Alfred had the utmost confidence in the cannons - they were guns, after all, and Alfred adored guns - but knowing that the man in charge of them had no doubts concerning Japan's big, weird-looking warships spoiling for a fight was still really nice to see.

"It would seem your countrymen have heedlessly chosen their course of action," Commodore Perry stated firmly, directing his words to Japan, "If you have some method for signaling them, I would suggest you use it now. My ships will not hesitate to retaliate should I feel your country's vessels to be a threat to their safety and the safety of my men."

"He really means it,"[/color] Alfred added, switching back to English so as not to leave the Commodore out of the loop, "Just tell them to back off and then we can talk business like civilized people! You have to admit that it's a much better idea then what your boss is doing now, right?"[/color]

Perry raised an eyebrow momentarily, but his expression did not change. To most anyone else, it would definitely have looked like a chastisement - which it was; the Commodore didn't really appreciate Alfred breaking the mood like that. To Alfred, it just looked like a funny facial motion and he didn't pay it the slightest bit of mind. Smiling brightly with his arms open to either side, Alfred once again radiated friendship and innocence.[/center]

[japan]

"You're kidding me! Even your boss does something stupid like this? You're just gonna stand around and let things go wrong? Sheesh, I guess you must be really timid or something. No wonder you're hiding from everyone else."

Japan was at a loss for words, not knowing how to explain himself. For one thing the other nation had disgraced him, and although he felt obliged to feel angry, many questions popped into his head. The other nation talked as if he usually had a choice. Did he really expect Japan to just get up, row an imaginary boat and tell his superiors that Japan disagreed? Japan had never tried something like that before; it was not his place to change history, no matter how much he wanted it. The leaders that ruled his lands had always been extremely strict and ruthless. Coward that he was, a small part of him feared the consequences of his opposition; he had seen many proto-nations within his land perish in that manner, not physically but mentally and emotionally. As a seemingly immortal creature, Japan thought that it was his place to watch over his children, but to not play any part in their dealings. Perhaps, he was only supposed to follow this ideal to a certain extent.

Japan had to take some time to consider his options, whether or not he had just been disgraced. By listening to his superiors, there would many injuries and possibly deaths. If the foreigners were being genuine, all they needed to do was to deliver a letter. Was his superior simply trying to show his power by taking irrational actions? There were so many things to consider, and Japan felt as if he were trying to put together a puzzle with only a few pieces in his possession.

“I am not hiding. My people have closed their ports because they hold distaste for western influence.” Japan said almost passively, only confirming something he was one hundred percent sure of. “I do not have any say in what the leaders of my land do.” He added, seemingly confident. “Are you saying, that you are permitted to disagree with your superiors?” He almost stated the question, his facial expression remaining neutral. His curiosity and wonder was hidden with years of experience.

Before he could even get an answer from the American, he heard heave footsteps on the deck, and he turned his gaze to the other white man, who claimed to be the captain of the ship.

"It would seem your countrymen have heedlessly chosen their course of action. If you have some method for signalling them, I would suggest you use it now. My ships will not hesitate to retaliate should I feel your country's vessels to be a threat to their safety and the safety of my men."

Japan ignored America's urging, for the nation only repeated things that he was already aware of. He was largely concerned about what the nation had done. His actions would most likely result in the enemy (in this case, Japan himself) thinking light of them. If this was like his home, America would have been beaten and dragged off somewhere, so he may be punished. From those actions. Japan had come to his conclusion quite easily. Things in America certainly worked differently than at his home.

Resisting the urge to sigh in exasperation, he opened his mouth, trying to keep his tone of voice respectful. “As much as I would like to consider the option of opposing my superiors, I do not have a boat in which I could ride to warn them.” He looked over to the deep blue ocean and then to his own ships; there was still a considerable amount of distance, and it would not be easy to swim that distance.

“My translator and historian are well aware of the situation at hand. They have told my superior, and if he still chooses to do what he wants, there is nothing else we can do.” He then turned to Alfred, talking in a hushed tone.

“I would not fault you if you cannot believe what I am saying,” He started, in Shaykomay. “There are many innocent people gathered at the port. I do not wish to see them harmed. However, I cannot bend the will of my superior; he is the law in this country, no matter how many disapprove of it.”

Japan could already guess the situation at hand; America must be a place of free will, or something akin to that. A nation spirit that was so accustomed to his ways would find it impossible to understand the situation in Japan, and all Japan could do was to try his best at helping the other nation understand.